The laws of disruption : harnessing the new forces that govern life and business in the digital age /

Downes, Larry, 1959-

The laws of disruption : harnessing the new forces that govern life and business in the digital age / Larry Downes. - New York : Basic Books, c2009. - vi, 298 p. ; 25 cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 283-284) and index.

Digital life : understanding second-order effects -- The weird economics of information : non-rivalrous goods and the problem of transaction costs -- Law one : convergence : when worlds collide -- Law two : personal information : from privacy to propriety -- Law three : human rights : social contracts in digital life -- Law four : infrastructure : rules of the road on the information highway -- Law five : business : all regulation is local -- Law six : crime : public wrongs, private remedies -- Law seven : copyright : reset the balance -- Law eight : patent : virtual machines need virtual lubricants -- Law nine : software : open always wins...eventually -- Conclusion : lessons learned.

Explores nine critical areas in which technology is dramatically rewriting the rules of business and life. This book will help business owners and managers understand not only how to avoid being blindsided by customer rebellion, but also how to benefit from it. It will teach lawyers, judges, and regulators when to keep their hands off the system, and it will show consumers the consequences of their digital actions.--From publisher description.

9780465018642 (alk. paper)


Information technology--Economic aspects.
Technological innovations--Economic aspects.

HC79.I55 / .D69 2009